Bill To Increase Access To Telemedicine In N.H. Becomes Law

Governor Sununu Monday signed a bill into law that could pave the way for an expansion of telemedicine in New Hampshire.

Telemedicine, the practice of connecting patients and doctors through video conferencing, is a booming trend in New Hampshire.

But one area where that's not the case has been for low-income patients on Medicaid. In 2018 less than 1% of all doctors’ visits for people on Medicaid happened via telemedicine.

This new law seeks to change that by adding primary care physicians and pediatricians to the list of doctors who can bill Medicaid for visits that happen by phone or video conference. Previously, only certain specialists could bill Medicaid for telemedicine visits.

Supporters of the law hope it will increase access to healthcare in rural parts of the state.